Lessons of Panem High
by Missyprissy1014
Summary: This story is currently on hiatus. Katniss' teaching career hasn't been off to a great start. Will her sister and a new teacher named Peeta turn things around for her? In this AU all of the favorite HG characters star as teachers of Panem High. What challenges will the new school year bring? M for later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

It was the day before the start of the new school year. Katniss hadn't accomplished everything she wanted over the summer. She slept in late most mornings and spent time out in the woods behind her house. She took up a part time job at the local library but never seemed to have enough time to swim or clean out her pigsty of a closet. Guess it will have to wait until Christmas break.

She never liked the first day of school, mostly because as a student she felt it awkward to meet new teachers and catch up with friends she really didn't have. Gale was her only true friend and he was too busy trying to act cool around the other girls to give Katniss much attention on the first day.

As she reflected on her time in school, her thoughts quickly went back to her current situation. Tomorrow, 3000 students would pile through the double doors. She would have the pleasure of teaching about 200 of them. She saw the name of all her students listed on the roll sheet. She couldn't help but roll her eyes at the class that had four girls named Hannah and another class with Jake, Jake, Jacob, and Jack. It always amused her how original parents could be when naming their children. On the other hand, was Katniss any better? She might have welcomed the name Hannah ten years ago when the boys were calling her Catpiss.

She was ashamed of herself when a terrible thought crossed her mind. With the exception of her sister Prim, she thought that out of all the students listed on her roll, she didn't feel like getting to know any of them. What a horrible teacher that made her. What parent would want their child under Katniss' care? She quickly shook her head trying to erase the thought when Principle Trinket's voiced boomed over the loud speaker.

"Good afternoon staff! Tomorrow is going to be a big big big day! If you could, please begin to make your way to the gym for our annual staff picture. It will only take a moment. See you in a few!"

God, that women could get on her nerves. Katniss decided to wait another five minutes before she took her trek down the hall. The idea of making small talk with her co-workers was not something she was interested in. She made it half way out the door when she spotted Johanna, the crude wood shop teacher. Could Katniss really blame her? She spent her day teaching teenage boys. It was considered social suicide for a girl to take wood shop.

"Get laid much this summer Kitty Kat?"

"It's Katniss, and I don't think that's any of your business."

"Oh lighten up. I'm only trying to have a little fun. You should try and make this year the year you lose that scowl. I know a guy named Cato who could probably help with that situation."

"No thank you."

"Wow, check out the fresh meat." They entered the gym and Johanna wasted no time pointing out the new hires. A shy girl with blonde hair almost reminded Katniss of herself. If Katniss was a better person should would have walked up and introduced herself to the new teacher, at least try and make her feel welcomed. But Katniss wasn't like that.

"Ok staff, let's line up on the bleachers. Shortest in the front, tallest in the back." No shit Effie, how else would we line up, Katniss thought. Katniss was of medium height so she found herself standing in the middle of the bleachers. A blonde guy squeezed in next to her, a little too close for Katniss liking.

"Sorry about that. My name is Peeta. I'm new here. What's your name?" Katniss took a second to take in the man before her. He had the bluest eyes she'd ever seen. And a warm smile with perfectly white teeth to match. She realized she'd been quiet for too long and quickly tried to swallow the saliva that suddenly disappeared from her mouth.

"I'm Katniss. I teach choir."

"Katniss. I like a unique name."

"What did you say yours was again?"

"Peeta. Peeta Mellark. My parents own a bakery. My dad loved the bread."

"Tell me about it. My mother picked katniss roots as a child and couldn't get the name out her head. What do you teach?"

"Home Economics. I know, it's kind of strange, a guy teaching that class. But I love to bake, and cook, and I'm not that bad at sewing. Don't you just love the school colors? What an awesome shade of orange."

Katniss looked down at her staff t-shirt. Everyone wore matching shirts today for the picture. She thought it was an obnoxious color. "I'd prefer something green. That's my favorite color." Why was she telling him this? He was a complete stranger.

"Ok, on three. 1….2….3! Stay still we're going to take a few more just in case."

They were all facing forward, no longer looking at one another. With her sight of him gone she now had time to focus on the feel of his shoulder touching hers. It felt warm and strong. She noticed the smell of him, something sweet but manly at the same time. She hoped she smelled good too but then chastised herself and wondered why the hell it even mattered.

"Ok staff, now let's all pose for a funny picture!" Seriously, how old were they? She thought this kind of shit would end once she graduated high school, not while she was teaching high school. She was at a loss of how to pose for this so called funny picture. She looked around for ideas and saw Glimmer, the fashion teacher and cheer coach, and Clove the evil science teacher, leaning against one another blowing kisses. She noticed Finnick the athletic coach putting bunny ears behind both the girls. Haymitch, the disgusting football coach with a very round beer belly, was turned to the side making himself look pregnant. Johanna was flipping the bird. She glanced at Peeta who had taken his hands and made rings out of his index and thumb and flipped his hands upside down to look like glasses. She couldn't help the little laugh that escaped her lips. She thought he was cute. Before she knew it the picture had been taken and her pose was a smile in Peeta's direction. Smiling was something she rarely did.

"So I guess I'll see you around?"

"Yeah, see you around."

She made her way back to her classroom to have one last look around before tomorrow. She had an interior classroom with no windows. She hated the florescent lights. She had a large set of risers for the students to stand on and an old piano. There was little to no color in the room. It was mostly blues and grays, typical school colors. She did have a pop of green, one plant placed on her desk along with a family picture of Prim, her mother, and late father. Prim would probably have a fit. Prim liked the fact that her older sister taught at the same school she attended but she hated the attention she got for it. Katniss quickly turned the picture around so she could only see it from her desk. She wanted to be considerate of Prim's feeling. Really, Prim was the one she cared about the most in life.

"Hey, Kitty Kat, wanna go to happy hour? Some of the teachers are all getting together for one last hooray before tomorrow." Katniss never attended these things and was about to say no when she wondered if Peeta had been invited too.

"Sure, let me grab my things."

"Wow that was easier than I thought. What'd you come back to you room and click your own mouse after the picture?"

"You have some serious problems."

"So I've been told."

When they arrived at the bar Katniss took a look around and was disappointed that she didn't see his blue eyes in the crowd. She did, however, she the new blonde girl and told herself that she needed to be nice. She introduced herself and the girl told her that her name was Madge and she was the new math teacher. They ordered drinks and Madge made Katniss toast to a good school year. Maybe it finally would be for Katniss.


	2. Chapter 2

The alarm clock buzz jolted Katniss from her sleep. While some teachers like Glimmer and Clove set their alarms for 5am, Katniss slept in till 6:30. Glimmer and Clove spent time perfecting their makeup and used hot iron tools on their hair, but, Katniss simply showered the night before and let her hair air dry. All she needed was a braid and one coat of mascara and lip balm to complete her look. She wore khaki pants and a green blouse. Nothing fancy because that was not her style.

"Aren't teachers supposed to dress up for the first day?" Prim asked at the breakfast table.

"Aren't students supposed to respect their teachers?"

"You're not my teacher until 8th period Katniss! For 45 minutes Monday-Friday I'll respect you, but until then I have every right to comment on your frumpy clothes."

"The sleeves have ruffles!"

"Oh big whoop Katniss! How are you every going to land a date wearing something like that?"

"The odds of me finding a mate at a school with mostly female teachers is pretty slim to none!" But why then did Peeta's face flash across her mind as soon as she finished her sentence.

"Coach Finnick is pretty hot."

"Primrose Everdeen, it's not appropriate to say those things about your male teachers," the girls mom cut in. They were distracted by their discussion and hadn't noticed their mother enter the kitchen. "Now I want both my girls to have a good first day. I have to work the night shift so I'll be gone when you come home after school, but I want to hear all about it tomorrow."

With that, the girls finished their breakfast and headed out the door.

"Shot gun!"

"As if you had any other choice." Even though Prim had a license Katniss still was not willing to let her younger sister drive her SUV. It was the first thing she bought with her pay check after becoming a teacher 5 years ago and she was proud of it. The school was only ten minutes away which made for a short commute for Katniss. Before she landed her job at Panem High she worked at Seam Middle School. It was a tough school with rude students. She tried not to blame the students too much. It wasn't their fault they were raised poor and without manners. After spending 3 years there, she had to make a change in her life and that's what landed her at Panem High. That and her sister was anxious to catch a ride instead of taking the school bus.

"Have a good day Katniss! I'll see ya later! Wait up Rue!" And with that Prim was gone, running to catch up with her best friend. If the girls didn't have the same last name no one would probably guess they were sisters. Prim was happy and outgoing while Katniss was quiet and reserve, some would even say bitchy, but only Johanna would say that to her face.

Katniss quickly made her way to her classroom with only five minutes to spare before her first class arrived. She dubbed this class the Hannah class and attempted to control her eye rolls. She passed out the first day packets and monitored the students as they played get to know you games. Her mind went back to yesterday when she thought about not wanting to get to know her students. She quickly decided she had to redeem herself from such thoughts and began playing right along with the students.

At lunch time, she found Madge sitting in the lounge at a table by herself. Katniss decided to sit with her and they enjoyed their lunch in relative silence. It wasn't awkward and for that Katniss was grateful. Maybe this year would be different. She spotted Peeta as he briefly walked into the room to check his mailbox. How could she miss his heavy tread? He tilted his head toward Katniss and gave a wink. She didn't even notice until that moment that she had been staring at him.

"Do you know Peeta too?" Katniss had been distracted and had to ask Madge to repeat her question. "I asked if you know Peeta too."

"Yes, I mean no, well, we just met yesterday during the staff picture."

"We both worked at the same school last year." That explained the wink. Surely he intended that for Madge. "He's a really great teacher. He's very passionate about what he does. The kids adore him too."

"How'd yall both end up here?"

"Budget cuts at our old school. Plus, I think he wanted to get away from a particular teacher who he had a relationship with. Guess it didn't end well."

"Guess so."

Before Katniss knew it, it was 8th period, her last class of day. It would probably be her favorite class since Prim was in it. She was going through the roll, calling her students names, when the door opened behind her. She heard him clear his throat before he asked if Rue was in her class.

"Yes, she's right here. Rue?" Rue was already making her way down the risers.

"Thank you Mr. Mellark. Ms. Glimmer sure would have had a fit if I lost my cheer uniform the first day of school."

"No problem, have fun at practice. How is your day going Ms. Everdeen?"

"Fine, thank you. You changed." She was suddenly very embarrassed that she noticed he changed his clothes. At lunch he was wearing dress pants, a button down shirt, and a blue tie that matched his eyes. Now, he stood before her in a pair of work out shorts and an orange Panem shirt with sneakers.

"I coach the wrestling team 8th period."

"Home Ec and wrestling. That's quite a combination." Was she flirting with him? In front of her students? And Prim? She felt herself turn red.

"Yeah, I guess I'm well rounded like that." His behind sure was. Shit! What the hell was wrong with her? Not the time or place for those kind of thoughts! "I have to get back to my boys. See you around."

"Yeah, see ya."

"Your face is awfully red Katn, I mean Ms. Everdeen," Prim giggled.

"Shut up Prim."

"I thought teachers weren't supposed to tell their students to shut up."

"Most teachers don't drive their students home either." That shut Prim up.

Katniss composed herself enough to finish her class. She then waited around until four for Prim to finish her cheer practice. She drove around to the back of the gym to get her sister when she saw Peeta outside, shaking the hands of some of the boys on the wrestling team. When he saw Katniss he waved and winked again and this time Katniss knew it was for sure intended for her.

"Hey Kat!"

"Shit! You scared me Prim."

"Well maybe you should stop staring at Mr. Mellark."

"I wasn't staring at Peeta, I mean, Mr. Mellark."

"First name basis. Didn't think you had it in you sis."

"Whatever. How was your first day?"

"Amazing! I love highschool. This is going to be a great senior year!"

"Good, I'd glad you had a great first day. Any classes with Rory?"

"Only language arts but we have lunch together too. And he practices with the wrestling team while I have cheer practice in the same gym."

"Prim, I hope you're not distracting him from his practice. You know he needs to focus and work on getting a scholarship."

"I'm not! Plus I doubt Mr. Mellark would get mad at him anyways. He seems like a really cool guy. And before I forget, I really need to start looking for a homecoming dress before all the good ones are gone."

"Did you look in my closet?"

"You're funny Katniss. Those are so outdated, plus you only have a couple since you didn't go to all the dances. Let's go shopping later this week, ok? You'll need to find a dress too since you'll be chaperoning."

"Don't remind me. I get paid Friday, we can go shopping then." How could she say no to her sister when her sister was this happy? Prim wasn't always like this. All three women suffered immensely after the death of their father. Katniss tried to grieve in private and decided to put on a brave face for her mother and sister. She felt it was her duty to help them manage their grief and in return it helped Katniss heal herself.

"You cook, I clean." Prim said before running off to her room.

"Deal."

**Author's note: What do you think of Katniss and Peeta so far? Which characters would you like to see more of? Leave a review and let me know what you think please!**

**For those of you following Curious Kat, I have decided to continue that story. Another chapter should be up tomorrow. If you haven't read it please know that Curious Kat is very mature. **


	3. Chapter 3

"Thank you for agreeing to do this Ms. Everdeen."

"No problem Caesar." Katniss was being interviewed by Caesar Flickerman, voted Panem's most likely to succeed. Not exactly how she wanted to spend her only break with the exception of lunch but hopefully the interview wouldn't last long. The school newspaper wanted to print bios of Panem's favorite teachers. Katniss was certain it could only be Prim who suggested her name.

"Ok let's start with why you wanted to become a teacher."

Crap. Why did she become a teacher? Because she loved to sing but hated the thought of performing in front of a crowd. Because Nashville was 200 miles away and she wasn't in a position to leave her family behind to pursue a song writing career.

"Because I wanted to make a difference in people's lives." Caesar quickly wrote down Katniss' cliché but acceptable answer.

"If you could teach any other subject what would it be?"

"Really, I've only ever wanted to teach choir."

"Is this something that runs in the family?"

"My father had an amazing voice. He taught me how to sing." Caesar paused for a moment, recognizing the fact that her father had passed and knew what the answer to his next question would probably be.

"Who has influenced you the most in your life?" Katniss really didn't feel like talking about her father any more. It would certainly make her cry.

"Hilary Clinton." Caesar smirked and Katniss wondered if he knew she was bullshitting him. Caesar decided to switch gears and ask a more light hearted question.

"What is your favorite thing to eat?"

"Deer."

"Deer?"

"Yea, deer."

"As in _bambi_?" Caesar looked horrified. He was a vegetarian with lactose intolerance. The thought alone made his stomach curl.

"More like bambi's mom. It's illegal to kill a fawn."

"You kill them yourselves?"

"Yeah, I do sponsor the archery club you know."

This was beginning to be too much for Caesar to handle, especially if he wanted to keep his lunch down. He asked a few more questions and snapped a shot of Katniss pretending to work at her desk before wrapping things up.

* * *

Katniss moved her neck side to side, trying to relieve some of the stress that had built up in her neck. It had been a long week and she was thankful tomorrow was Friday. She had to stay after late for Glee Club tryouts and Prim had opted to get a ride home from Rue's boyfriend Thresh. Katniss' car was one of only a few left in the parking lot. She unlocked the door and stuck the key in the ignition.

"What the hell?" Katniss noticed that one side of her car was tilted, a sure sign of a flat tire. She squatted down on the ground to examine it closer and sure enough she could see a nail. She grabbed her cell phone and opened the back of her SUV to look for the spare tire. Her father had shown her how to change a flat when she was 13, but at the time she wasn't really interested in paying attention. She couldn't call Prim. Prim had no car to drive to come get her. Her mom was already at the hospital. She figured Gale would help, so she quickly thumbed through her contacts to find his name. Gale worked with an IT company designing computer software. His schedule was pretty flexible. He just needed to meet deadlines and get his shit done. Surely, he could help.

"Gale, it's me. My car has a flat."

"Need a hand?" Katniss looked back and forth wondering where Peeta had suddenly appeared from.

"Katniss who was that?" Gale asked.

"Don't worry about it Gale. Everything fine." She hung up without giving Gale a chance to respond and Peeta wondered if Gale was a guy or girl.

"My car has a flat, I didn't notice it this morning." She silenced the phone in her pocket knowing it was probably Gale.

"Let me take a look. It's a good thing you and were sister made it here ok. You could have had a blow out." Katniss thought it was sweet he cared about their safety.

"Home Ec, wrestling, and car repair main. That's quite a list?"

"Don't forget knight in shining armor," he said with a toothy grin. She couldn't help but smile back. He was always so charming. He pulled the spare from the back and quickly got to work switching the tired out. He seemed sure of himself and knew what he was doing. When Katniss thought he wasn't looking, she took a glance at the exposed space between his gym shorts and t-shirt. He definitely had a happy trail and his hips were shaped like a V. He had a tight stomach and it was clear he worked out. His eyes suddenly made contact with hers and she blushed feeling as though she'd been caught. Peeta didn't say anything, just smiled, and continued to change the tire.

"That will do it. Make sure you drive straight home, don't stop anywhere and don't drive over 50. And you'll want to get a new tire soon. Will you mother Gale be able to take you? If not, I can drive you to an auto store right now."

"Oh Gale's not my mother, but I'll tell him you said that. He'll be thrilled," she said with a laugh. He tried to not look disappointed because he figured Gale was her boyfriend. How could someone as beautiful as Katniss not have a boyfriend?

"Let me give you my number. Do you mind calling when you get home, just so I know you made it safe?" He raddled off his number and she typed it into her phone.

"Yeah thanks, I owe you one." She hated owing people anything but was happy to have had the chance to talk to Peeta. She was too shy to seek him out at school and had to rely on these chance meetings to get to talk to him. They said their goodbyes and she drove home without a problem.

"I'm starving Katniss, where have you been?" Prim sounded whiny when Katniss walked in the door.

"You know I had to stay after late. You can make your own dinner sometimes too." Katniss didn't really feel like telling Prim about the tire and who changed it. Prim would be full and questions that Katniss just didn't want to answer.

"I would if I had the time because believe me, I cook better than you Katniss." Katniss let out an annoyed sigh. Only her sister could get away with talking to her like this. "But I have a ton of math homework that's due to Ms. Undersee tomorrow. I will have cook for you next week though. Mr. Mellark said we'll have a homework assignment."

Katniss began pulling ingrediants out the pantry and fridge when she noticed Prim had put the school newspaper bio on the fridge. Katniss didn't bother to spend much time looking at her bio, instead she focused on the teacher bio above her, Peeta's. She learned that he became a teacher because he loved being in school and had amazing teachers himself. He wanted to help other people have the same great experience he did when he was in school. It made sense to Katniss. He seemed like he was a popular kid in school. If he could teach any other subject it would be art because he loved to paint. His favorite tv show was Chopped. In his picture, he was kneading dough and she notice how his arm muscles were flexed. His jawline was so strong and she fought the urge to trace his jaw with her fingers tips.

"What are you staring at?"

"Nothing, just thinking about dinner." Katniss reached into her phone remembering her promise to text Peeta. Fortunately, he'd already sent her a message.

_Did you make it home ok? I'm starting to worry._

_Stalker much? How did you even get my number?_

_Staff directory. So are you ok?_

_No, stuck in a ditch. Come find me._

_You know, the staff directory lists your home address as well. Don't tempt me._

_I'm fine, I swear! I just got distracted with cooking Prim dinner. _

_Bambi's mom?_

So he had paid attention to her bio too! She knew exactly what her response should be.

_No, something I saw on Chopped._

"Who are you talking to?"

"No one Prim, don't worry about it. You're so nosey lately!"

"Doesn't seem like no one. You'll all smiley. You never smile like that."

"Just do your homework ok." Katniss anxiously awaited Peeta's reply but her phone rang before he sent another text. It was Gale.

"Hey Gale."

"What the fuck Katniss, you call, say you have flat, I hear a man's voice than you hang up? I mean, I know you can take care of yourself but still, you had me worried." Katniss rolled her eyes, again, not want to give out a whole lot of details to Gale. Details meant she paid attention and that she cared. She wasn't willing to admit that yet about Peeta. She heard her phone bing letting her know Peeta had just replied. For someone who didn't care, she sure was excited to continue the flirty text exchange with him.

"It was nothing Gale, it got fixed. How's your mother?" She hoped switching gears would help steer the conversation a different route.

"Busy just like yours. My mom can't make it to Rory's scrimmage next week so I'm planning on going."

"Yeah tell me about it. I have to go watch Prim cheer. At least we can keep each other company, although I'm not sure when we decided to have kids."

"Oh Katniss, you know how it is, family first, that's what our Pas always said."

"Yup, family first. Are we still on for lunch next week?"

"Yeah, I'll see you then."

Katniss quickly hung up the phone not even bothering to say goodbye. She was too concerned with what Peeta had said.

_How about I take care of desert? Want to meet somewhere for ice cream?_

Oh the possibilities. But was she ready to go there yet?

_Maybe some other time, Prim needs help with homework._

_Alright I hope to see you tomorrow._

Easy out using Prim as an excuse. If her family had to come first, why not use it to her advantage. She liked Peeta, she was certainly attracted to him. But did she really want to date someone from work? She'd never done that sort of thing before and from what Madge had mentioned, Peeta had. Was this something he was used to? Did he do this with a lot of co-workers? How did she go from flirty texts to putting up walls. She did want to see him tomorrow but there was no way she was seeking him out. Like all their other meetings, she would leave it up to chance.

**Author's note: Who wouldn't want to be saved by Peeta? How big a role will Gale play into all of this? What's coming next: archery practice, Peeta takes a jog, and everyone's favorite drunk on a golf cart.**


	4. Chapter 4

"Ok this time, I only want to hear the girls sings. Ready girls?" It was now the second week of school and everyone was falling into a routine. Katniss felt better about this school year, better than any year before. Her class was singing the Valley Song when Superintendent Snow happened to walk in the room. Katniss motioned to her students to continue singing. At the end of the song Mr. Snow clapped his hands. It was one of those claps that hurt you ears, it was so loud.

"And what is your name dear?"

"Katniss Everdeen."

"My, what a pretty name. That sounded absolutely delightful. Do you plan on taking a team to the district competition this year?"

"I do, in fact we had try outs last week."

"Wonderful. Keep up the good work." And with that he left. Katniss had to take an extra breath before she addressed her students. She didn't know what it was about Mr. Snow, but he creeped her out.

"Girls, that sounded great. Ok boys, it's your turn."

* * *

"Hey Katniss, get that tire fixed?" Peeta asked when he spotted Katniss filling her coffee one morning.

"Yeah, we took care of it this weekend." Peeta jumped to the conclusion that _we _meant Katniss and Gale. Little did he know that it wasn't Gale, it was her mom who helped her.

"That's good to hear." Katniss wanted to say more to Peeta but didn't know what to say to keep the conversation going. She wasn't good at this. She brought up the only thing she knew she could.

"So Prim tells me she'll have a cooking assignment this week for homework."

"Yeah, I want the students to try some of the techniques we've practiced in class. We'll be making pizza dough and she'll have to use whatever you have at home for the toppings. I want the students to be creative, so don't buy anything special at the store."

"Sounds like fun. It will be nice for once. She'll be treating me to dinner."

"Speaking of treats, when can we get that ice cream? Or coffee if that's more you thing," Peeta said pointing to her cup.

"I prefer something a little a strong, lover boy." Why did Johanna have to walk up now? Her timing was always impeccable.

"Yeah, sorry I missed that happy hour the other week. My dad needed help at his bakery."

"A hot guy who can bake and cook. What are you a serial killer?"

"Not the last time I checked."

"Don't mind Everdeen here, she's a tough shell to crack."

"By all means, don't mind me." Katniss threw her hands in air, seriously annoyed by the turn of the conversation.

"Oh Katniss, it's all in good fun." Johanna yelled as Katniss made a beeline for the door.

That afternoon was archery practice. Katniss learned how to shoot from her father when she was younger. During her final review with Principle Trinket last year, Effie suggested that Katniss participate in more school events to improve her overall performance as a teacher. Apparently, Katniss wasn't doing enough to build relationships with her students. If you asked Katniss, some teachers were doing a little too much to build relationships with their students as was noted on the nightly news reports. So if she needed to get more involved, what better way than to start a brand new archery club. To her surprise, several students signed up and through fundraising they were able to purchase decent targets.

They didn't have a designated place to practice so they set up wherever they could find space. Today they were by the track that surrounded the practice football field. It was a busy day with people running the track and football practice all going on at the same time. Not to mention it was a hot one. She had changed into a tank and capris and frequently wiped the sweat from her forehead.

"I should've been a cowboy! I should've learned to rope and ride!" Katniss didn't need to turn around to know who was singing off key. Of course it was Haymitch, Panem Highs biggest mistake of a teacher. Everyone knew he was only around because he and Effie had started their careers together and out of respect, she couldn't fire him. That and the fact that Effie had a thing for him, which was beyond Katniss' understanding. He was coaching the football team and spent more time chasing his players around on his golf cart than actual coaching.

"Don't roll your eyes at my sweetheart," Haymitch yelled in Katniss' direction.

"I'm wearing sunglasses, how do you even know I rolled my eyes?"

"Because I can feel it. If you hate my singing so much why don't you give me a one on one lesson."

"I'd rather fight to my death before I did that," she said before he continued to carry on with his Toby Keith country tune.

She was pulling arrows from the targets when she spotted him, his blond hair practically glowing in the sun. He had a sheen of sweat on his arms that glistened. The wrestling and swim teams were both running and she laughed to herself as Finnick tried to catch up with Peeta. Clearly, Finnick's domain was in the water. She also noticed how Finnick inappropriately flopped around in his track shorts. Had the guy ever heard of modesty? Peeta was neatly tucked away and she assumed he wore boxer briefs to hold in his package. His thighs, oh his thighs, looked so strong and she instantly wanted to be wrapped around them. What was this man doing to her? Why couldn't they just meet at a bar? Or online? At this point, meeting at a bar or a match site would be much better than meeting at school, except she would have had to put herself out there to meet him, something she didn't do.

As he ran by he nodded to her and simply said "Ms. Everdeen" before he continued to make his circles around the track. She tried to focus on her practice and was so happy she had grabbed her sun glasses at the last minute. Hopefully they hid the fact that she was checking him out every chance she got.

"Ms. Everdeen, you shot me in the heart. I am yours for the taking!" Finnick grabbed an arrow and held it up to his heart. Practices were coming to close and everyone was trying to make their way off the track.

"What would Annie say about that?" Katniss asked.

"She'd say, take him, he's yours!"

"Do you need a hand with that?" Peeta asked as Katniss tried to gather up her supplies. She just nodded and smiled, happy to get the chance to interact again with him.

"So Finnick, how's Annie?" Katniss hadn't seen Annie since she left to work at another school last year. Finnick and Annie both taught swimming. One afternoon, they were supposed to be cleaning out the pool after practice when they decided to take a swim together. Although their clothes stayed on, the janitor witnessed their kissing and touching. Annie was mortified. Glimmer and Clove gave her such a hard time. Effie granted her a transfer but not before having a talk with Annie about manners. That was another reason Katniss was wary about dating Peeta. She didn't want to end up in a situation like that.

"She's good, very round, and big." Finnick used his hands to motion the outline of a busty pregnant woman. The two of them had gotten married and wasted no time getting pregnant. "Her belly button popped up, just like a blump turkey on Thanksgiving Day."

"I wouldn't tell her that if I were you," Peeta said.

"Why, you got a baby mama?" Finnick asked.

"No, I don't. I just don't think a hormonal woman would want to hear that."

"I wouldn't use the word hormonal either," Katniss added.

"Well thank you Dr. Oz and Dr. Phil."

"Coming through!"

"Katniss, look out!" Peeta quickly ran to Katniss, grabbing her by the arms and pulling her to safety as Haymitch barreled through in his golf cart.

"Son of a…. Haymitch! You nicked my foot!" Finnick yelled.

"You're young, you'll recover!" Haymitch yelled over her shoulder, not even bothering to slow down.

"Are you ok, Katniss?"

"I think so."

"Is she ok?! Am I ok?! I'm the one that got run over!"

"Walk it off," Peeta pleading, wanting to use this moment as a chance to get closer to Katniss. Her arms were resting on his shoulders and he loved every minute of it. "That was a close one. You're lucky I was here to save you."

"Is that right?"

"It is. So let's see, I've changed your tired and saved your life. Doesn't that call for at least a drink?"

"Peeta, it's just I.."

"What, Katniss? What have you got to lose?"

"I need to concentrate on teaching and Prim and I just don't know if it's a good idea to date someone from school."

"Who said anything about dating? Let's just try to get to know one another."

"Just, be patient with me, ok. I'm not the dating type."

"I don't even know what that's supposed to mean, but if need more time then fine. Just don't expect me to stop trying. I'm warning you now."

* * *

As promised, Gale brought Katniss lunch later in the week. It was the least he could do for his friend. His schedule was flexible, whereas Katniss only had time for a 30 minute quick lunch.

"Thanks for doing this again, Gale."

"No problem. How are your kids this year?"

"Great! The best I've ever had."

"Is this seat taken?" Madge walked up with her lunch to their round table.

"Oh hey Madge, sit down."

"Are you sure? I don't want to interrupt anything."

"Oh please, it's just Gale." Katniss looked over at Gale and she swore he hadn't taken a breath since Madge walked up.

"I'm Madge, I teach math," she said as she stretched out her hand.

"I'm Gale, I don't teach." Katniss gawk at Gale wondering what was going on with him.

"What do you do then Gale?" Madge said with a little laugh.

"Work for an IT company."

"Room for one more?" Peeta had walked up to the table. He sat in between Gale and Madge, and across from Katniss.

"I don't know Peeta, your lunches always put mine to shame," Madge teased.

"I don't know what you are referring to," Peeta said as he took out a gourmet sandwich plus a desert.

"You said your family owns a bakery?" Katniss asked.

"Yeah, not too far from here actually. I'm sorry, I didn't get your name," Peeta said as he looked at Gale.

"I'm Gale Hawthorn," Peeta clinched his jaw. So this was telephone Gale.

"Any relation to Rory Hawthorn? I coach the wrestling team he's on," Peeta said.

"Yeah, that's my little brother. He mentioned something about a Coach Peter."

"It's Peeta," Katniss replied, feeling the need to defend him. Gale was known to be a dick from time to time.

"A baker's son. Makes sense," Gale said.

"So Peeta, have you kept in touch with anyone at our old school," Madge asked curiously.

"No, not really, I thought it best to cut ties." Katniss wondered who it was he dated at his old school. That was definitely a conversation they would have to have before she even considered seeing him.

They finished their lunch then made their way to their respected classrooms. When Prim arrived to Peeta's class he noticed Prim had the same fast food cup her sister and Gale had at lunch. Peeta thought he could get some valuable information out of Prim.

"Hi Prim, how's it going today?"

"Great Mr. Mellark!"

"Who brought you that drink?"

"Just a family friend. He's Rory brother actually."

"You don't say."

"Yeah, we've all grown up together. He and Katniss are the same age and so are me and Rory."

"That's cool. Do yall spend a lot of time together?"

"Well you know me and Rory are dating so we see each other all the time. Gale and Katniss are just close friends. Our moms are like sisters. Our dads….umm….both our dads passed away years ago."

"I'm sorry to hear that Prim, I had no idea."

"It's ok, it happened a long time ago. We got through it together. Anyways, I'm gonna go sit with Rue."

Peeta took a second to reflect on what he had just learned. Gale and Katniss weren't dating but this news was overshadowed by the fact that Katniss had lost her father. Was that part of why she had so many barriers up? One way or another, Peeta knew he wasn't going to stop trying with Katniss. There was something about her that he wanted to know more about.

**Coming up next: A wrestling match and someone gets hurt (uh oh!). Let me know what you think. If you leave a review I'll send you a sneak peak of the next Curious Kat chapter. Thanks for reading!**


	5. Chapter 5

It was the day of the wrestling scrimmage. The boys were excited to see who would qualify to compete in next week's first official meet. Rory had a lot riding on this season. His family couldn't afford to send him to college. It was either stay home at a community college or get a scholarship to a state school. He hoped him and Prim would go to the same college. Spending four years apart was something neither of them was interested in.

"You look cute, Prim," Rory told her as they waited for the scrimmage to start. The cheerleaders were using this as an excuse to prepare for next week's game as well.

"Thanks babe, but you better not get your butt kicked because you're too busy checking me out."

"I'd never do something like that," he said as he tried to circle her in his arms. She quickly backed away shaking her head.

"Eh uh, save that move for later," she said as she popped the strap to his singlet. Thankfully, this year's uniform covered him up more than last years. Rory spotted his brother Gale walking in the gym and both boys gave each other a nod. He was glad to have the support of his brother but didn't look forward to his harsh critiques.

"Hey Catnip," Gale said as he found Katniss sitting in the staff section of the stands.

"Gale, I've told you a million times, don't call me that here!"

"Excuse me, Ms. Everdeen," Gale replied sarcastically.

"Don't get smart with me Gale. It will put me in a bad mood."

"Ok, you two are either brother and sister or fucking. I hope not both."

"Johanna! For the love of God, watch your mouth. You shouldn't talk like that with students around," Katniss chided.

"Oh please, you're as pure as Madge," Johanna backfired.

"Madge. Is Madge coming?" Gale asked.

"Why do you care about Madge?"

"Why do you sound jealous?"

"Not even close, Johanna!"

"Don't you get it Katniss, you're so easy to rile up."

"I don't appreciate that, Johanna."

"Keep your panties on. Blonde is checking you out over there. Don't want him to think you're crazy."

"What?" Katniss turned her head searching the gym floor for Peeta. When they made eye contact Peeta winked as he had done so many times before. It still made her tummy jump every time.

"Katniss, why are you turning red," Gale said.

"So you do like Blonde!" Johanna howled.

"Shut up, both of you! I'm going to get a drink." This event was seriously taking a toll on Katniss and she needed a break. When she reached the bottom of the stands she heard the girly squeals of Glimmer and Clove.

"Glim, he was so winking at you." The fuck he was, Katniss thought!

"Fox said he's an _amazing_ kisser," Glimmer let her head fall back as she said this. Katniss saw the gym lights reflect off her sparkly lip gloss. Surely Peeta didn't want around his mouth.

"I don't know what Fox was thinking cheating on him. Does it get any better than that?"

Peeta was cheated on. How could someone do that to him? He seemed like a decent guy. And why were Glimmer and Clove fawning after him. She hadn't notice Peeta ever speak to them but then again, she tried to avoid their duo as much as possible. They were negative energy, artificial, and everything Katniss was not.

She made her way back to her seat and tried to pay attention to the real reason she was there. She watched her sister do standing back tucks and toe touches. Rue was one of the flyers for the team, her tiny frame easy to toss in the air. This year's cheer squad was quite impressive despite being led by Glimmer.

"Rory's looking good this year," Katniss told Gale. He had just pinned another senior twice his size. Rory was tall like Gale but not nearly as muscular. He kept to a strict diet trying to qualify for a lower weight class. Peeta slapped him on the back, clearly pleased with his performance.

"Yeah, he knows the deal, no scholarship means community college. How does Prim plan to pay for college?" Gale asked.

"Student loans, plus me and my mom will help."

"If you need extra cash they're hiring down at The Palace, not that I've been in there or anything," Johanna added.

"Thanks Jo, I'll keep that mind," Katniss said sarcastically. It was then that she heard it, a body landing on the hard gym floor with a sickening thud. She prayed it was just another wrestler getting pinned but she knew better. She knew it was bad when she heard her sister screech and called out Rue's name. There Rue laid, flat on her back, hands covering her face, struggling to catch the breath that was knocked out of her. Katniss leaped out of the stands. Her and Prim both shouting not to touch her, remembering the lessons their mother had shared with them about back injuries. Katniss joined Prim and Thresh at Rue's side.

"What hurts baby?" Thresh anxiously asked her.

"Everything, it hurts so bad," Rue cried.

"Has someone called an ambulance?" Peeta yelled.

"They're on their way," Gale answered back.

"Katniss?" Rue asked for her by first name, forgetting the formality of Katniss being a teacher. In this moment, Katniss was her friend's sister that she got to know over all the years of sleep overs, birthday parties, and car pools.

"Yes, Rue."

"Katniss, will you sing to me?"

"Of course. You'll be alright." Katniss looked straight in her eyes and began to sing the first song she thought of, a song her father first sang to her. It was about a meadow. By the time she had sang the song twice the paramedics had arrived and Rue was loaded into the ambulance.

* * *

"Prim, what would you like for dinner?" Katniss asked when they had made it home. The scrimmage ended after Rue's accident.

"I don't feel like eating anything. I'm too upset. I just need a bath then bed."

"Ok, let me know if I can do anything." Katniss felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. She took it out and her heart began to beat faster when she saw it was from Peeta.

_Katniss, what you did today was amazing. You inspire me and move me like no one has before. Please, give us a chance, even if it's just as friends. I want to have you in my life._

Katniss closed the phone and scribbled a note for Prim telling her she went to grab dinner. She quickly jumped in her car knowing what she had to do and where she needed to go. She only hoped he would be there.

* * *

"What's eating you son?"

"Nothing dad, just thinking about work," Peeta told his dad as he finished decorating the sugar cookies.

"How do you like the new school?"

"It's great, much better than the old one."

"Well I'm sure grateful you agreed to help me out here. It's not the same now that your brother moved away."

"Don't mention it dad. I bake better than he does anyways. I'll be in the back prepping the dough for tomorrow." Peeta quickly excused himself not wanting to open up to his dad about Katniss. He felt like he was acting desperate. He had foolishly opened up his heart to Katniss by texting her and she didn't even have the decency to text back. Maybe he was being too pushy. It was then that he heard the bell ring signaling a customer. It was late to have a customer. Most people came for only breakfast and lunch. He made his way to the front to check things out. There stood Katniss, still in her clothes from work, looking shy as she played with the end of her braid.

"Ah, there's my son now," his dad said with a raise of his brow.

"Thanks dad. Why don't you go finished up that dough. I've got this," Peeta said, never taking his eyes off of Katniss. "How did you find me here?" Peeta asked once his dad had given them some privacy.

"Goggle. I searched the name that was on one of your lunch bags. That sounds pretty stalkerish doesn't it?" she said with a laugh.

"Not at all. I'm happy you're here."

"Did you mean what you said?"

"Every bit of it."

"I want to try to get to know you, too, but I'm scared. If this ends bad we'll have to see each other every day."

"We won't let it end bad. Just give us a chance."

"Ok. So what's good here?"

"The California Club is my favorite. I make the secret mayo."

"Secret, eh?"

"Yup, and I'm not sharing."

"And what about dessert?"

"The peanut butter cup cookies are my favorite."

"And for breakfast?"

"You might find out one day." She blushed at the prospects. He seemed so sweet but had moments when he was so bold. She liked it though. If it was anybody else she would pummel them, but with him, it was so attractive. He quickly went about making them both sandwiches and they ate together at a small café table. Their feet bumped into each other more than once, each time exchanging an apology and a smile.

"So when was your last relationship?" Katniss asked Peeta, cutting to the chase. She was dying to know about what she overheard Glimmer and Clove saying.

"It was a former co-worker. She cheated with an ex-boyfriend. She had called in sick to work and I brought her soup at lunch time. I found them together in her bed."

"Have you dated many co-workers?"

"No, Katniss. I don't want you to think that. You're not just another notch on my belt. I truly care about you. What about you? When was your last relationship?"

"A guy back in college, Darius. He said I wasn't the relationship type."

"What does that mean?"

"I dunno, something about me not being affectionate enough. Not making him a priority in my life. I have to be honest with you, I have responsibilities, Prim being the most important."

"I understand, I wouldn't expect anything less from you. And I think that's crap he said you weren't affectionate enough. You clearly must not have been attracted to him," he said as he grabbed Katniss' hand across the table. He let his thumb rub up and down the inside of her palm and she shivered at his touch. She liked the feel of his ministrations and if it felt this good on her hand how good would it feel elsewhere?

His father had already left out the back door leaving Peeta to finish closing up. He packed her up a dozen cookies and Katniss hoped it would bring a smile to Prim's face. He held her hand while he walked her to her car.

"Thanks for dinner. It was great."

"Thanks for finding me, even if it makes you a semi stalker," he said with a grin. She playfully slapped his arm then bit her bottom lip desperately wanting to kiss him. She opted for a simple kiss on the cheek and opened up her car door. She scrambled to buckle her belt, readying herself self to speed off before she could embarrass herself more. To her surprise, Peeta just stood there with a grin on his face.

"What?" she asked, smiling back.

"I've waited weeks to kiss you and that's all I get?" Whatever overcame her was a new sensation only he could bring out in her. She quickly threw off her seat belt and jumped out of the car and into his arms. Her hands wrapped around his neck and into his hair. His arms encircled her waist and he tilted her back slightly. Their tongues moved in rhythm with both sharing in the dominance. When they broke apart they were both breathless.

"That's better," he said.

**Author's note: I realize the characters are slightly OOC. I hope yall don't mind. Thoughts for next time: Secret relationship or out in the open? Where will their first official date be? Thanks for reading and reviewing **


	6. Chapter 6

"You're a really good kisser."

"You're not so bad yourself," Peeta said as he gave her another soft kiss to the lips. Her panties were drenched and she ached between her legs. She could definitely get used to kissing him. They stood in the parking lot of the bakery for another few minutes just kissing before they were interrupted by the honk of a horn.

"Shit! What if that was someone from school?"

"I highly doubt that, Katniss. What are the odds?"

"I dunno. I just don't think it's a good idea for people at school to know."

"Why not?" he asked with a raise of his eye brows.

"I just don't think it anyone's business."

"You're not embarrassed to date me right?"

"No, that's not it. I just don't want to deal with a bunch of questions and assumptions. Can't we just keep it quiet?"

"For now. I don't know if I can keep it up forever."

"Who said anything about forever?"

"You clearly haven't kissed me enough yet," he said with a smirk and pulled her in for another long kiss.

* * *

They decided to go out on their first official date that weekend. Katniss was getting ready in the bathroom she shared with Prim. She decided to leave her hair down since it was always in a braid at school. She had a hard time deciding what to wear since Peeta hadn't told her where they were going. She opted for a pair of dark skinny jeans and a sheer hunter green top that buttoned in the front and showed a little bit of skin on her back. She had bought the blouse a while ago but never had a place to where it until now. She made her way downstairs and ran into Prim and Rue watching tv in the living.

"Where are you going?" Prim asked.

"Just out with some friends." Katniss tried to be short.

"You never go out with friends."

"Well I do now! How are you Rue? Feeling better?"

Much better, thanks Katniss. I still have to keep things low key for now but I'll be back at school Monday."

"You girls have fun and don't get into too much trouble."

"We won't!" They girls answered in unison.

Katniss insisted on meeting Peeta at the bakery. She wasn't ready to let her sister in on their little secret. Peeta was disappointed though. He wanted to show her off. He had a hard enough time at school as it was not holding hands with her at lunch. Katniss had tried to forbid sitting at the same lunch table in the lounge but Peeta had set his foot down and demanded that it was the least Katniss could do. When she pulled up to the bakery she found Peeta waiting in the parking lot with his foot propped up against his truck door. He was wearing a royal blue polo shirt and it looked amazing with his eyes. His biceps were so large the sleeves to his shirt fit tightly around them.

"Hey, you," Peeta said as she walked over to his truck.

"Hey yourself. So where are you taking me anyways?"

"Can't I get a kiss first? It's been days since we've kissed since you won't go out with me on a school night."

"Very funny, Peeta. If you keep talking it will be impossible to kiss you."

"I'll shut up then." He wrapped his arms around her middle and pulled her closer to him. They pecked on the lips a couple of time until she felt his tongue trace her lower lip. She quickly parted her lips, allowing him access and let their tongues dance around each other. When they had both had their fill they pulled away and stared at each other.

"You're very lucky you know," Katniss told Peeta.

"And why is that?"

"Because I've never acted this way with another guy. Kissing before the first date. Isn't there some rule for that?"

"I believe it's no sex before the third date, and trust me I'm counting."

"Is that so?" She asked with a shocked face.

"It is."

"Well you better add a Mississippi in between those counts."

"I'm just playing. I'm happy just spending time with you. I never thought you'd agree to this."

"Well I have, so tell me where you're taking me." He pulled her in for another sweet kiss.

"No."

"No?"

"No."

"Then no more kissing," she said as she made her way to his truck door. He opened it for her and helped her hop in. "You're really not going to tell me where we're going?"

"I am not. Don't worry, it's nowhere the students will find us." He began driving into town. The school they worked in was nestled neatly in the suburbs yet was close enough to a large city. He drove for a good thirty minutes while Katniss entertained herself by flipping through his playlist.

"We're getting closer. Any ideas where we're going?" Peeta asked.

"None. You realize I will return the favor to you."

"I accept the challenge." They were now clearly in downtown and were driving on a street lined with bars.

"You're taking me to a bar?"

"Not just any bar, the bar," he said teasingly. They found an open meter and parked along the side of the road. They walked hand and hand a couple of blocks before stopping at an old historical looking bar.

"Why this one?" Katniss asked.

"This one has an open mic night."

"Oh no, Peeta!" Katniss said as she turned to walk back in the direction of the truck.

"Katniss! What's wrong?"

"I'm not going to sing. Are you crazy!"

"Well no, I didn't think it would be that weird to bring a music teacher to an open mic night."

"We'll you know nothing about me then." She continued to walk away. He chased after her and grabbed her by the hand.

"I'm trying to get to know you and obviously I hit a sour note, no pun intended. Will you stop running from me?"

"Only if you promise not to make me sing."

"I'd never make you do anything you didn't want to do. You should at least know me well enough to know that."

"I'm sorry I just panicked. Singing during class is one thing. Putting on a performance at a bar is something completely different."

"I understand that now. Can we go back and just try to get to know more about each other? And when it's your turn to plan a date I promise to let you do whatever embarrassing or degrading thing that you want?"

"Deal," she answered with a smirk.

* * *

Katniss planned their second date and she purposely scheduled it during the week just to show Peeta she wasn't as uptight as he might think. All she told him was to wear something he could get dirty. Peeta was curious as hell and Katniss enjoyed getting to be on the other end of the secret. She pulled into a small shopping center and parked in front of a store front that showcased several paintings.

"Surprise," Katniss said as she tried to take in Peeta's reaction. "Come on, let's go inside."

They made their way into the studio. Several painting canvas were set up on top of folding tables. They located their names and had a seat after pouring themselves large glasses of wine. The painting they were creating that night was displayed at the front of a small stage. It was a crazy tree with spiraled circles for leaves in all different colors. Katniss figured it would be easy enough for her to do since she knew next to nothing about art. She knew Peeta enjoyed painting from his bio answer in the school newspaper.

"You're gonna get a neck ache you're so tense." Peeta whispered in her ear before placing a tiny kiss on the skin exposed under her neck. It made her shiver.

"I'm concentrating. You better stop before you mess me up."

"I'm pretty sure you can't mess up this painting."

"You have such faith in me," she said sarcastically.

"Isn't that what a boyfriend is supposed to do?" She stopped her painting and stared at him. They had never defined their relationship with words like that. They were committed to each other and weren't seeing anyone else but still shyed away from calling each other that.

"Yeah, I guess you're right," she said before kissing him on the lips. She then took her paint brush and lightly brushed his nose leaving a streak of orange paint. "What?" She asked innocently.

"You're lucky orange is my favorite color."

* * *

They decided to make their next date a double date. Katniss needed Madge as an alibi and Gale seemed interested in her. They went to a 3 story golfing range. The girls weren't keen on the idea but Peeta and Gale seemed pretty pumped. They explained it to the girls as bowling but with golf balls. All the girls needed to do was hit their balls in the correct net and the tracker on the balls would indicate their score.

"I thought the ball was supposed to go straight," Katniss questioned Gale.

"I'd sure like to see you try, Catnip." He was offended by her critique. He took pride in his golf game, plus he had Madge to impress. He helped Madge select a ladies club and gave her a quick demonstration on how to hit the ball.

"Wow! That was way off!" Madge said embarrassed.

"That's ok, it was your first shot," Gale said encouraging.

Peeta took his place on the green. He squared his shoulders off and Katniss bit her lip as she took in the sight of her boyfriend. She loved the way his tight shirt showed off the muscles in his back as he sung the club. How she yearned to feel his muscles move beneath her fingers as he rocked in and out of her. This was technically their third date though neither of them brought it up. Their relationship hadn't progressed pass kissing, but maybe tonight could be that night.

It was Katniss' turn next. She tried to mimic what she saw the others do but apparently wasn't doing a very good job. Peeta quickly made his way to stand behind her to help with her swing.

"What, did you see this move from a movie or something?" Katniss asked.

"Something like that. I'd do anything to get close to you," he whispered in her ear.

"You don't need an excuse like golf to get close to me. You can do it anytimr you want to." She had tilted her head back, her lips brushing against his cheek as she spoke. She felt him tighten his grip around her and felt his cock beginning to harden.

"Are you gonna hit the ball or get off?" Gale asked.

"Shut up Gale!" They could fight like brother and sister sometimes. Katniss teed off but was way off the mark. "I don't see how this game is fun."

"Just give it another shot. You'll get the hang of it. Pretend you're shooting an arrow," Peeta said.

"This is nothing like shooting an arrow," Katniss complained. She was competitive and didn't like that she was bad at golf.

Several beers later, they had completed two rounds with Gale winning each. Peeta and Katniss noticed Gale's not so subtle looks to get lost so he and Madge could have some time alone. They decided to grab another round and Katniss made her way to a dart board near the bar. This was more like arrows.

"Care to make a wager?" Peeta asked.

"What do you have in mind?"

"If I win, I can kiss you wherever I want to."

"And if I win?" Katniss pretended to be deep in thought. "We go back to your place."

"I might just lose on purpose then."

"Play fair! I need to beat someone who is actually trying." Katniss took her place in front of the board. Before she released each dart she took a deep breath. All three darts made it within the center circle. "Yes!" Her hands reached up to the ceiling before she took a drink from her beer.

"I'm not sure I can beat that."

"Here, let me help you. It's my turn to show you how it's done." Katniss took her place behind Peeta and ran her hand down his arm that was holding the dart. She let her other hand rest on his belt loop. "Keep your eye on the target," she whispered into his ear. His shoulder slightly twitched letting her know that he was ticklish here. "On three…one…two…three," she paused between each count to give him a kiss under his ear. "That was way off!"

"What do you expect me to do? You were all breathing in my ear!"

"Sorry, I guess I'll stop."

"Oh, I wasn't complaining," he said as he pulled her towards him for a kiss.

"Another round?"

"I don't think that's necessary. Let's get out of here." They made their way to Gale and Madge who were still outside working on their swing. They bid them goodnight and agreed they'd have to do this again sometime.

* * *

During the drive to Peeta's apartment they shared shy glances. Peeta reached over and grabbed her hand. He gave a gentle kiss to her palm, trying to calm both their nerves. He didn't let go of her hand as he led her to his front door.

"So this is it?"

"This is it. It's kind of small but I don't need much. Just one bedroom and bath. The kitchen is over there." Katniss let her eyes roam around the apartment. It was very neat for a guy. She wasn't surprised though because Peeta seemed to be that type of a guy. "Let's find something on tv," Peeta said as he led her to the couch in the living room. They settled on a rerun of an old sitcom. They'd both seen it before but they didn't mind watching it again. The program was the last thing on their minds.

Neither one of them was making a move so Peeta decided to go ahead and start slow. He wrapped his arm around Katniss and she tucked her head on his shoulder. He let his hand make small circles on her arm and he noticed the way her skin rose into goose bumps everywhere his hand touched. She sighed before raising her head slightly and giving him a soft peck to his chin. He took his hand and lifted her face higher so that their lips could meet. They kissed very slowly at first until Katniss decided she wanted more. She tugged on his hair and at the same time pushed her tongue into his mouth. They let their tongue move together like they had done so many times before but somehow this felt different. Peeta gently pushed her down onto the couch and positioned his body on top of her. She couldn't help but let out a small moan when she felt his hardness push against her center.

"Is this alright?" he asked with redden cheeks.

"It's more than alright," she replied before going in for another kiss.

He felt his hand trace her jaw and neck before he moved it across her collar bone. He was inches from her breast but wanted to give her a second to stop him if she wanted too. She made no move to stop him. Instead she lifted her chest begging him to touch her. He cupped her breast and gave it a nice squeeze being sure to pinch at her nipple. Her nipple responded instantly and puckered up. He placed his hand under her thin cotton shirt and brushed his finger under her bra. He circled her nipple multiple times and listened as her breathing began to pick up.

"Your mouth," was all she could manage to say.

He pulled her shirt up and pushed her bra to the side. He brought his mouth down to her breast and gave it a few kisses before taking her entire nipple into his mouth. He let his tongue flick back and forth quickly before sucking it into his mouth again. She reached down to grab his hardness through his jeans. It was his turn to now lose his breath.

"God, Katniss that feels good."

"I want to touch you," she said while going for his belt. His button and zipper followed next and she reached into his pants. She propped herself up on one elbow and gave him attention while her one breast remained exposed. She felt the weight of him in her hands, heavy and thick. She moved her hand up and down with a twist to her wrist. He was on all fours with her positioned between his body. He started to rock back and forth before finally he let go and came into her hand.

"That was amazing," he said before getting up and walking to the kitchen for some paper towels. When he came back his dick was still out and his shirt was pulled up showing off his flat stomach. "Can I take care of you now?"

"How do you know you didn't already?"

"If you're that easy to please then clearly you haven't had enough loving." She blushed and turned her eyes away.

"I guess you'll have to find out next time. It's getting pretty late, I should really get home" she said as she repositioned her clothes.

He walked her to her car and gave her a final kiss. His body was positioned directly in front of her so he knew no one could really see. He reached down and rubbed her through her jean. Her head fell back and her eyes closed tightly.

"I guess you'll have to find out next time," he said before he kissed her one last time and walked away. All she could do was let out a puff of air and shake her head with a frustrated smile. He drove her crazy, and he knew it.

**AN: Happy Valentine's Day! I wanted to post this in time for tonight. Hope everyone had an amazing day :) Thoughts for next time: When and how will people at school start to catch on?**


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